What Might Have Been
by Judge1964
Summary: AU to Star Wars: Rebels. What would have happened if Ezra Bridger had accepted the Emperor's proposal and gone to be with his parents? How might have things changed for him?
1. The Mistake

**Currently, this is a one-shot based off of Ezra and Palpatine at the portal room. This may become a full blown story, but only if you guys want it to be.**

 **Essentially, this is what I think may have happened if Ezra had gone through that portal to see his parents. Spoilers for the final episode of Rebels; you have been warned.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra shuddered as he looked through the portal. Those were his parents. Alive and well. Like the Empire had never taken them away all those years ago.

He looked back at the Emperor. "If I go in, promise me you'll withdraw all your forces from my planet."

The hologram nodded. "I'll recall Thrawn and his forces back to Corescaunt, you have my word."

Ezra nodded, and with a slow exhale, he entered the portal.

As soon as the Padawan entered, the Emperor grinned maliciously. "Grand Admiral Thrawn, prepare to bombard Lothal. Wipe the Rebels out."

* * *

The first thing Ezra noticed was that he wasn't seven. He was the same age he was when he entered the portal mere moments ago. But a quick look out the window confirmed that he was indeed back in the time frame that they were alive.

 _Kanan_. The thought entered his mind immediately. The Spectres were still alive. Quickly, Ezra grabbed his comlink and keyed it to his Masters frequently.

"Spectre One, come in."

The harsh static of the comm crackled, then a very wary voice sounded. "Who is this? How did you get this frequency?"

Ezra almost collapsed in relief. "I'll explain everything when I meet you."

"What? You must be crazy if you think that-"

"Kanan. We need to meet."

His voice sounded again, and it was much more subdued. "Fine. Where are you?"

Ezra smiled. "I'll find you. Don't worry." He put his comlink away and tentatively exited his room. "Time to find out how real this is."

Ezra walked down the stairs and stopped. "Mom? Dad?" His parents were working in their kitchen, cooking something. It reminded him of how Sabine would cook favourite foods on the Spectres birthdays.

Both of his parents gasped, and Ephraim stepped forward. "Ezra? Son?"

Ezra nodded, tears falling down his face. "Dad. I-I've missed you guys. So much."

Mira frowned. "Ezra? What are you talking about?"

He closed his eyes. "You're not going to believe this, but I'm a Jedi."

Both of his parents laughed, laughter that quickly subsided when he lifted their table with only an outstretched hand.

Ezra set the table back down, and smiled. "I am a Jedi. Like my Master before me."

Ephraim narrowed his eyes. "Who are you, really? You're not Ezra."

Ezra smiled. "Actually, I am. I'm from the future. At least, my future. Where I come from, you guys are dead, and I have a new family." A knock at the door was heard. Well, it was more of a pounding. "And I bet that's them now."

Ephraim opened the door-to stare down the barrel of Kanan Jarrus's blaster. "Can-Can I help you?"

The Jedi pushed through the door and stared at Ezra. "You. You were the one on the comlink earlier."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. You're not going to believe this, but-"

Kanan shook his head. "You clearly know me from somewhere. Come with me, kid. We're talking in private."

* * *

Once the duo reached the _Ghost_ , Kanan shoved Ezra against the ramp. "Alright, kid, who are you?"

Ezra stared back into Kanan's eyes, relishing the fact that he could see his master before he was blinded by Maul on Malachor. "My name is Ezra Bridger. I'm a Jedi."

Kanan scoffed. "Oh yeah? You weren't old enough to be around when the Jedi were. How do you know who I am?"

Ezra grinned. "Your name is Kanan Jarrus. You're my Master."

Kanan drew back and pointed his blaster at him. "What are you talking about?"

Ezra sighed. "I'm not from around here. Not really. See, where I come from, you find me at fifteen when I steal a crate of blasters from you. Blasters you traded to Vizago for information about the trapped Wookiees."

Kanan stared. "That mission happened three years ago, and was a bust. No Wookiees, and we certainly didn't meet a fifteen year old boy."

Ezra nodded. "Everything is different here. In my time, you become blind on Malachor and ultimately die protecting Hera, Sabine and myself from an explosion."

Kanan put his blaster away. "Wait here." He walked onto the _Ghost_ , and disappeared, leaving Ezra outside.

He was gone long enough for Ezra to kneel on the ground and meditate. Something didn't feel right. Sure, he got to see his parents and Kanan alive again, but he had just traded his relationships with the crew, his family, but he was leaving Lothal's safety in the hands of the Emperor and his word.

Kanan returned, and tossed something to Ezra. "Open this holocron. Then we'll talk."

Ezra smiled. It was very similar to the original test that Kanan and Hera laid out for him all those years ago. Within moments, the holocron was open.

 _This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to inform you that-_

Kanan sighed. "Okay. I don't know who you are, Ezra Bridger, but you _are_ force-sensitive. Maybe there is some truth to what you're saying."

Ezra nodded and stood, handing the holocron back to Kanan, all the while coming to the realisation that _this was wrong_ and _he shouldn't be here._

* * *

 **Now, I can make this an actual story, but you guys will have to let me know. I think it's something worth pursuing, Ezra trapped in an alternate reality.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Old Bonds

**Thanks to FossilQueen1984, Guest, jpeck2000, All Things Animated, kylegriggs13, Guest, Guardian's Blade and skadoosh123 for the feedback!**

 **By popular feedback, I am going to continue this story. With you guys helping.**

 **All Things Animated and FossilQueen1984: Your feedback is my personal favourite! I love when people point out my mistakes, but still encourage my writing! Thanks!**

 **A familiar face (sort of) makes an appearance!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra was waiting in the commons for Kanan's verdict when it started.

"Who are you, kid?"

Ezra jumped a little. "S-Sabine?"

The Mandalorian folded her arms. "Yes. My name is Sabine. Very observant of you. Who are you?"

Ezra couldn't help but stare at her. _Not unlike the first time they met_ , he thought wryly. Sabine's hair was that purple and orange combo she had when they had first met. She just looked three years older. "Ezra Bridger. And you're Sabine Wren."

He noticed how Sabine's hand slowly fell to her blaster pistol. "How do you know who I am?" She glared at him. "Did my mother send you?"

Ezra shook his head. "No. Neither did Gar Saxon." _That_ earned him one Mandalorian pistol being pointed at his head. "Sorry. I should explain. My name is Ezra Bridger, and I'm from the future." He almost smiled at the raised eyebrow Sabine gave. "Well, _my_ future." He sighed in relief as the pistol was lowered, but not holstered. "Look, in my time, my code name was Spectre Six. I was the apprentice to Kanan, and looked to him like the father I never really had."

Sabine's frown deepened. "You mean like the father that is still alive? Back at your home?"

"No! I-" Ezra sat down on the bench by the holotable. "I was given a deal by the Emperor. I could return to when my parents were still alive. I didn't realise it was a trap."

"Uh-huh." Sabine looked over to the cockpit. "Zeb, I say we just shoot him."

The Lasat lumbered over. "Yeah, I'm with you."

Ezra scrambled up. "No! Look, I know all about you guys, because you're my family in my time! Zeb, you're the captain of the Honour Guard on Lasan. I know this because we've _been_ to Lirasan. Sabine, you were estranged from your family for speaking out to save them. They didn't stand with you. They chose the Empire. They left you." Ezra gestured the cockpit. "Hera has a bad relationship with her father, Cham. And Kanan,-" Ezra sighed. "This Kanan is far different from the one I know."

"How so?" The Jedi in question walked over and glared at Ezra. "Who am I to you?"

Ezra closed his eyes and sighed. "You're my Master." He could _feel_ Kanan's glare. "Look, you guys find me here on Lothal, and Kanan trains me in the ways of the Force. In my time, I'm apart of this group. 'In some ways a family', right, Sabine?"

The Mandalorian stared at him. "I've never said that about this group to anyone."

"But is it true?"

The girl thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose, but...how-"

"Because I'm supposed to be here. This is my home. _You_ are my family."

Kanan sighed. "Guys, in the cockpit. Chopper, keep watch over our _guest_. Try not to zap him?"

Once they all were gone, Ezra collapsed against the wall. "This was a mistake. I should have known better."

* * *

"Well?"

Hera sighed. "How do we even know if this kid is telling the truth?"

Kanan narrowed his eyes at the ground. "He knew things no one else could have known. I don't like it, but we have to give this guy a shot. Maybe he is telling the truth."

Sabine scoffed. "Maybe. Or, he's an Imperial Agent. Working for Kallus or something."

Kanan shook his head. "I doubt that. Kallus's style isn't to send plants that know that much history." He sighed. "Ever since Rex and Ahsoka died, this Rebellion is growing weaker. We don't stand much of a chance anymore. Some chances have to be taken."

"Kanan." Zeb shook his head. "Does anything about this kid feel familiar?"

 _Kanan!_

 _The use of the Force to hold Hera back from the flames was the only thing he had time to do. One push, and she flew safely back into Ezra's arms. Then, gathering the Force around him, the Jedi pushed the gunship safely away, as the flames engulfed him._

Kanan sighed. "Something feels familiar. I don't know. But this is a chance I feel we have to take."

Ezra had slipped into a meditative pose. _Sabine. Hera. Zeb. Do any of you even feel me? If you can, you have to find a way to help me. I thought I could fix things. Bring Kanan and my parents back. But nothing is as it should be. It's all so messed up._

 _Ezra?_

He opened his eyes. "Kanan?"

 _Kid? Where are you?_

He stood up and looked around the cargo bay. "Where are _you?_ "

A chuckle rippled through the Bond Master and Apprentice once shared through the Force. _I think we both know where I am, Kid. What happened?_

Ezra sighed. "I took a deal the Emperor made. I thought I could bring you back."

 _And you trusted the word of the enemy of the Jedi? Really?_

Ezra balled his fists. "What would you have done?"

The rebuke was gentle. _Finished the job. Like I_ did _. You didn't need to bring us back. Your parents live in you, and I'm always here, Kid. We're connected through the Force. Now, how do we fix things?_

Ezra collapsed back against the wall. "I don't _know!_ I've been trying."

 _Try harder. The timeline you've ended up in is one where the Rebellion lost. The timeline we came from is one where you saved Lothal. That's not what's happening anymore._

Ezra lowered his head. "Are they okay? Our family?"

Silence resonated though the Bond for a while. _If you don't return to where you belong, they all will die. Did you really expect the Emperor to keep his word?_

Ezra yelled in frustration. "I don't _know!_ Maybe?"

"Trouble?"

Ezra turned to find Kanan leaning against the doorframe. "Please tell me you sense it too?"

"The Force? Or that voice?" Kanan climbed down the ladder. "Right now, I'm just willing to accept the fact that you're something special. Who are you?"

Ezra couldn't help but tremble in fear over what was to come. "A stranger."

* * *

 **Okay, here's where you guys come in. This can either become a short story that sees Ezra return to his own time, or I can turn it into something longer that has Ezra working with the Crew in this parallel world. I'm okay with either, it's really up to you guys.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. No Way Back but Forward

**Thanks to Wildfire's Flame, skadoosh123, All Things Animated, jojobinks01, JaneGriffin, IdkWhatMyUsernameSholdBe and Guest HT for the feedback!**

 **Idk: first off, love the username. Very creative. Secondly, I took your suggestion for a dream, and I'm rather certain I did justice to it. Let me know!**

 **All Things Animated: Thanks! I reviewed the chapter, and are you referring to words such as realise? Where I come from, that is how they are spelled, but I am aware that in America they are spelled realized. But, please, let me know if I missed the actual misspelling of anything!**

 **So, the decision was to continue the story. But, I couldn't resist making it seem like returning could be possible, so here you go.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Kanan leaned back in his chair. "That's quite a story. So, how do we send you back?"

Ezra thought for a long moment. "The Jedi Temple on Lothal! The world between worlds!"

Kanan shook his head. "Kid, I have no idea what you're talking about. But, if you have a plan, I guess that's all we can do. So, where is this temple?"

Ezra froze. "You...you don't know?"

Implications rolled though his head. He knew that things would be different, but if Kanan Jarrus, Jedi Knight, didn't know where the Lothal Jedi Temple was, something was fundamentally wrong with this time, and that could not be fixed.

But Kanan smiled. "Yeah. I know. But do you know?"

Ezra almost sagged in relief. "Yes. We can take the _Phantom II_."

Kanan frowned. "There's a second _Phantom_?"

"There's still the first one?" The events at Reklam Station came back, and Ezra nodded. "Right. The _Phantom_. We-we should leave."

Kanan chuckled as he headed for the ramp. "You're a strange kid, Ezra Bridger. We'll leave in an bit. I want you to meet the crew first."

Ezra sighed. "Yeah." He mumbled. "My family."

His first stop was his old room. Well, Zeb's room in this time. Ezra just leaned against the wall and stared at the small space, remembering all the different times he and Zeb had argued, and later grown as close as brothers.

"Can I help you, kid?"

Ezra jumped and turned around. "Zeb! Hey, I was just looking around."

Zeb folded his arms. "Yeah. I noticed. Get out of my room."

Ezra nodded and backed away. "Sorry. I'll just go find Kanan."

Zeb's frown deepened. "Listen, kid. I don't know who you are, but these people are some of the few folks I care about. So, if you even try to hurt Kanan or Hera, or try something stupid with Sabine, I will take great pleasure in ending you. Clear?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Sorry." He walked out of the room, shaking his head. "Now to find Hera."

Hera was in the cockpit. Wasn't that hard of a deduction. The Twi'lek practically lived there. When Ezra entered, she straightened, as if she was hiding something. Even though it was a reaction that made sense, it still hurt.

Ezra sighed and sat in Kanan's chair. "I know you guys don't trust me, but I am telling you the truth."

Hera nodded. "Kanan trusts you. Or at least believes you. Maybe it's because you both use the Force." She gazed out the viewport to Lothal's plains. "You can spend the night here, if you want. We can put you in Zeb's room."

Ezra shook his head. "I'll return to my parents house." It _still_ felt weird to say that. After years of understanding that his parents were gone, having them back was still strange. Kanan's planning an excursion to the Lothal Jedi Temple in the morning. So, I guess we'll see what's really going on."

* * *

 _His comlink went off. "Ezra! Ezra, can you hear me? The Purgil, is-is it you?"_

 _He answered. "Yeah! Pretty good, huh?"_

 _He could practically hear Sabine rolling her eyes. "Well, you could of told the rest of us!"_

" _I wanted it to be a surprise." The blast door behind him opened, and troopers poured out, drawing his attention away from Sabine, and onto the battle at hand._

 _Sabine could hear his yell of pain, and gasped as she saw the Purgil begin to light up._

 _Hera beat her to it. "When they glow like that..."_

" _They're about to jump into hyperspace!" Sabine got back on the comm. "Ezra! Ezra, get out of there, right now!"_

 _Hera added. "That's an order!"_

" _Hera." To the women, Ezra sounded tired. And in pain. "I have to see this through to the end."_

 _As the Purgil on the_ Chimaera _began to light up, Sabine grew desperate. "Ezra,_ please! _Get out of there!"_

" _I can't do that." His voice was sure. Confident. "It's up to all of you, now. And remember, the Force will be with you._ Always."

 _For a long moment, Sabine stared at the empty space, heart and mind raging to make a decision. Despite her breaking heart, she knew what had to happen. "This is our chance." She turned to the others. "You heard Ezra, lets finish this!"_

 _She turned and stared out the window for a moment. "Ezra."_

" _Ezra."_

 _Ezra_

"Ezra!"

Ezra gasped and jumped up. "Gah! What happened!"

Ephraim Bridger stared at his son. It was difficult for him to accept that this boy was really his son. _His_ Ezra had disappeared days after his seventh birthday. They had searched Lothal for days, trying to find him.

And now, he just _shows up_? Ephraim knew what happened to kids who grew up on the streets of Lothal. This _imposter_ of his beloved son was one of them.

But until he could find his son, they had to put up with it.

Ephraim cleared his throat. "That man from yesterday is here. Said you were supposed to meet him?"

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Dad."

Ephraim visibly bristled at being called that, but let it drop. "He's waiting."

* * *

Ezra couldn't help it, a massive grin broke out on his face as soon as he saw Kanan. "Master."

Kanan looked startled, but smiled none the less. Maybe the idea of having an apprentice was growing on him. "Kid. We should go."

Once outside, Ezra's head dropped. "Look, I know coming here was a mistake. What happens if we can't fix it?"

Kanan shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, now does it? The Force brought you here for a reason. We just have to find out what that reason is."

Ezra nodded, deep in thought. "How's Ahsoka?"

Kanan jolted. "Ahsoka? How do you know about her?"

Ezra smiled. "She's an friend in my time. Where is she?"

Kanan closed his eyes for a moment. "Dead, Kid. Her and Captain Rex went to confront Vader. All we got back was Rex's cracked helmet. I could feel their deaths through the Force."

Ezra swallowed, recalling when he saved Ahsoka in the world between worlds. "Well, maybe we can fix that too."

Kanan glanced at him. "You still haven't told me what it is we're doing in the Temple."

Ezra nodded. "Sabine and I found a portal at the Temple that leads to a world between worlds. I was able to go through. We should be able to return."

* * *

The duo exited the _Phantom_ , and Ezra almost growled. "No. What have they done?"

Before them was a massive Imperial mining project. Entire sections of the Temple were missing, including the section containing the Father, Son, and Daughter.

His encounter with the Emperor rolled in his head. _I had this portion of the Temple moved here, stone by stone, for you._

 _It was a door_ , he realised. _Doors open from both sides._ But there wasn't the other half where he entered this world. It was gone.

Anger welled up in him, and he felt Kanan's hand on his shoulder. "Release it to the Force. Don't let it control you."

Heading his master's advice, Ezra took a deep breath, and turned away. "We need to head back. There's nothing for us here."

"What about the Temple?" Kanan's gaze was upon the far side. "There doesn't appear to be any Imperials there."

Ezra crossed his arms. "Kanan, why would we need to enter the Temple?"

Kanan had a small smile on his face. "Figured you may need a lightsaber. If there are any kyber crystals left, they'll be in there."

Ezra glanced at his master. "I thought you didn't trust me?"

Kanan shrugged. "The others may not, but something about you feels...familiar. Like I know you. There's a sort of...bond."

Ezra started. The bond he shared with Kanan Jarrus before his death was linked to Kanan, right? But his Kanan and this one were different. Or were they the same? He had memories of training with Kanan, sparring with Sabine, even fighting with Zeb, but they didn't remember any of that. It happened to different-but the same-people.

Which didn't even make sense. The fact that he could remember the events of his timeline made sense, and so did the fact that the others couldn't. But the fact that this Kanan could feel the bond Ezra shared with his master threw all his understanding out the window.

Ezra shook his head, mind swimming. "Sure, Master. Let's go."

Kanan folded his arms. "I'm not your master, kid. You don't need a teacher."

Ezra closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes, I do. I wasn't ready to lose you. There was so much you didn't get a chance to teach me before your death. But I need you, Kanan. All of you. Hera, Sabine, Zeb, even Chopper! You guys are my family. You were there for me when there was no one left. _That's_ why I came back. The Emperor told me I had a chance to see my family again. I'm doing that now. I see the man who became my father, the rest of my family pure again. Not tainted with guilt over your death. Everything can become the way it was _meant_ to be."

There was silence for a moment, before Kanan jerked his head to the far side of the Temple. "Let's go, Ezra."

* * *

 **I'm a sucker for angst, so Ezra will be having quite the time adjusting to all of this.**

 **It came to my mind while typing this that the Emperor intended for Ezra to go through the portal, and never make it back. Now, being the being of evil personified that he is, the Emperor would make sure that the dream of seeing his parents would soon turn into a nightmare for Ezra. (Take from that what you will)**

 **Suggestions are always welcome! I don't really have a set plot for this story; it grew larger than I was expecting. So, anything you guys can think of for this alternate timeline I'm open to!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Into the Mist

**Thanks to Wildfire's Flame, IdkWhatMyUsernameShouldBe, skadoosh123 and All Things Animated for the feedback!**

 **All Things Animated: I would be grateful if you could point out the mistakes to me. Thanks!**

 **skadoosh123: No promises on a relationship, my friend, but we shall see!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Ezra glanced around at the Temple walls. "This place is far different than I remember."

"The Imperials may have damaged the insides when they were digging." Kanan seemed to agree with his assessment. "I doubt they got in though."

Ezra nodded. "Of course; they don't have the Force." He grew serious. "So, what threats do you guys face?"

Kanan shrugged. "On Lothal? Not much. Standard bucket-heads and Imperials. Our allies abroad have far more terrifying enemies. Vader, Inquisitors, Death Troopers. We have it easy here."

Ezra sighed. If he hadn't come to the crew that day, so much would have been different. Vader would have never come to Lothal, Kanan's Jedi status wouldn't have been revealed to the Empire, and _maybe_ the _Ghost_ crew would have been happier.

But they didn't look happy. They looked...defeated. Like the war was too much for them. Which was odd. Even at the lowest moments, there still was an underlying base of joy. He could feel it in Sabine during that last week Like, for a moment, she had found her place in the galaxy.

 _That_ gave Ezra serious pause. He had spent years trying to gain the affections of Sabine Wren. At first, he had tried flirting. That horrible, awkward flirting that made everyone cringe. _That_ had finally ended when Kanan took him aside and told him to stop. That it was making everyone-especially Sabine-uncomfortable.

Needless to say, it mortified Ezra. After a rather awkward apology to Sabine, he had set out on a new goal: be her friend. Yes, he still loved her, but now he had a basis for that affection. Kanan had inadvertently let it slip that he harboured feelings for a certain captain, and Ezra tried his hardest to follow his Master's example.

Sabine was cautious at first. As if she didn't believe that Ezra just wanted to be friends. But, she tried. And soon enough, she found that they made a pretty good team.

Hera noticed too. She started pairing the duo up on ops, and watching the chaos ensue. She would plan ops deliberately around the two, such as the Radio Tower op.

And though it all, Ezra and Sabine became friends. Close friends. So close, that she was his first choice for getting reinforcements during the Battle of Atollon. Even though his feelings remained alive and well, he had buried them in favour of a close friendship with the Mandalorian.

Those few weeks before Kanan's death, Ezra had begun to sense a change in Sabine regarding him. It wasn't really anything dramatic, but she had begun to return small smiles and glances at him. She would deliberately position herself beside him during briefings.

And then Kanan died, and it almost exploded. Following the incident at the Temple, Sabine refused to let Ezra out of her sight for days. She claimed it was so he didn't do anything stupid, but it felt like she was afraid to lose him.

And then she did.

That realisation hit Ezra hard. In favour of living a dream of seeing his parents alive, he had forsaken his best friend, and his family. The entire Rebellion really. He was stuck in this reality, and all the while, his family would be slaughtered by the Empire. Because he was selfish.

Ezra had spent years in the company of the _Ghost_ crew. He knew almost everything about them. He had watched them grow, and they had done the same. The reason they were such a powerful unit for the Rebellion was because they were a family. They watched out for each other until the end.

What had started out as a means to an end for Ezra, a way to gain food and shelter, had turned into so much more. He had a father in Kanan, a mother in Hera, a brother in Zeb, and a...something in Sabine. He had found what he had been searching for all this time. Family.

And he had done whatever he could to protect them. Because, at the base of it all, his greatest fear was being alone. After seven years of being alone on the streets, Ezra _needed_ family. Stability. And the _Ghost_ crew had provided that.

And he had just thrown it all away.

In a manner of speaking, the _Ghost_ crew was still his family. They were still right there beside him. But they weren't _his_ family. Not really. Kanan was the only one still acting like his old self. But Ezra chalked that one up to the fact Kanan could sense anomalies through the Force.

"Kid?" Kanan's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

Ezra nodded. "Y-Yeah." He looked around. "This place is always different every time I enter."

What was before them was a brightly lit hallway, and at the end of it was a green kyber crystal. "Well, that was easy."

Ezra took a step forward, before Kanan stopped him. "Patience. Something doesn't feel right."

Ezra waited for a moment, willing to let Kanan do as he saw fit. After several minutes, the Jedi moved forward, and grabbed the crystal.

"Good." Kanan handed the crystal to Ezra. "Now all we have to do is-"

Ezra held up his hand. "Someone's here."

"I had received reports of a Jedi on Lothal. I just didn't believe it until now."

Ezra closed his eyes. "The Grand Inquisitor."

The Pau'an rounded the corner and grinned maliciously. "Oh, good. You know who I am. So I won't have to explain what come next." He ignited his lightsaber. "Kanan Jarrus. Born Caleb Dume. Apprenticed to Depha Billaba. One of the few survivors of Order Sixty-Six." He turned his gaze upon Ezra. "I don't know who you are, though."

Ezra pocketed the crystal and smiled. "I am what you once were. A Knight of the Jedi Order." Kanan had told him about how he fought a Temple Guard-actually the Grand Inquisitor-before. "But unlike you, I haven't lost my way."

The Pau'an narrowed his eyes. "Hmm. You're not old enough to have been around when the Jedi were. Someone trained you. Clearly not Dume; he's hardly skilled enough. So, who was your master, boy? Kenobi? Windu? Skywalker? If so, they're all dead. Vader killed them all."

Kanan nodded. "I know I was-"

A Force Push threw him against a wall. "I was speaking to your friend here. Now, _boy_ ," He ignited his second blade. "Where were we?"

Ezra used the Force to call Kanan's lightsaber to him. "You're smart." He charged, blue blade clashing with the red. "Figure it out!"

After a few minutes of fighting, Ezra managed to Force Push the Inquistor back, and caused the doorway to collapse. Then, he turned to Kanan, handing him the lightsaber. "We need to leave. Now."

Kanan nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

The _Ghost_ crew, predictably, were startled to hear of a new threat, and Ezra felt horrible for putting them in harms way. But then, Kanan did something unexpected. He took the separate pieces of his lightsaber, attached them, and hung it on his belt. He smiled at Ezra. "It looks like our fight just got a lot more interesting. You in?" He extended his hand.

Ezra grinned and took it. "Always, Master."

Hera nodded. "It looks like we have a new crew member. Welcome aboard, Spectre Six."

Ezra could feel the broad smile appear. He couldn't help it. "Will you let me talk to my parents first?"

Kanan nodded. "Sure. Take all the time you need."

Ezra stopped the speeder in front of his parents house and entered-to stare down the barrel of a blaster. "Uh, Dad?"

Ephraim Bridger's face was drawn in a sneer. "You aren't my son. You aren't Ezra."

Ezra backed up a pace. "I-I am! I-"

"Save it!" Ephraim was trembling with rage. "My son disappeared over a decade ago! Don't you _dare_ try and tell me you are him! My wife and I scoured Lothal for _weeks_ looking for him, eventually choosing to believe he was dead. You. Aren't. Him."

Ezra's eyes were wide. "I-but I am."

The blaster fired, the wall next to Ezra's head scorched. "Get out. Now. Before I decide to kill an imposter."

* * *

 **So, I had to either write out the** _ **Ghost** _**crew or the Bridgers. Ezra couldn't be between two families. Sabine can empathise. Expect a conversation in the future!**

 **So, Ezra is stuck here. Suggestions for future chapters are welcome!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Spectres of the Past

**Thanks to Anonymous Noob the 2nd, Spectre6, JaneGriffen and Wildfire's Flame for the feedback!**

 **JaneGriffen: You get your wish!  
**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ephraim closed the door and looked at his wife. "We had to do that; you know it."

Mira nodded. "I know, but what if it _is_ Ezra? What if it is our boy?"

Ephraim slumped down in a chair. "We talked about this. If that was our Ezra, where has he been all these years? He just vanished, remember? One day there, next gone."

Mira sat beside him. "Think back to our talks with him, love. He has Ezra's eyes, nose, even hair! He looks _exactly_ like Ezra would at eighteen. What if it _is_?"

Ephraim sat there for a moment, then stood. "Then we'll have to talk to him. I would love for him to be my boy, but I'm not convinced."

Mira smiled. "Then let's go find out."

"Ephraim and Mira Bridger." They both turned at the sound of the voice, and watched as a figure walked down the stairs. "Parents to Ezra Bridger." The figure, who was a Pau'an in Imperial armour, grinned sadistically. "I need to speak with the boy."

Ephraim stepped forward. "My son has been missing for years. He's probably dead."

The Imperial chuckled. "Oh, I disagree." He lifted Ephraim up with a Force-Choke. "Your son is hiding with a Jedi. Where are they?"

Ephraim was clutching at his throat. "I...don't...know! Said...he was...from the future!"

The Imperial dropped Ephraim and grabbed his lightsaber from his back and ignited it. "You'll have to do better. Tell me more, or you die."

Ephraim eyes were wide with terror. "I don't _know_ anything more!

The Imperial grinned. "Then what happens next is on you." He reached out with the Force and grabbed Mira, then _pulled_ , impaling her on his blade. Then, he used the Force to choke out Ephraim, and threw his lightsaber at him.

As the bodies dropped to the ground, the Inquisitor deactivated his lightsaber and placed it behind his back, then activated his comm. "Commander Geyys, I need you to get me everything you have on Ezra Bridger."

* * *

Kanan met Hera in the commons. "Any sign of him?"

Hera shook her head. "The speeder's back, so he's here somewhere. I just don't know where."

Kanan sighed. "Okay." He looked at the group assembled in the commons. "Zeb, check your room. I gave it to the Kid before he left to see his parents. He stashed a bag of clothes in there. See if it's on the bunk above you. Hera, we may need to use the _Phantom_ to track him."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Hera sighed. "If Ezra really did leave us, is it wise to follow him?"

Kanan closed his eyes. "I don't know. But I don't want to give up on him."

The door opened, and everyone's heart fell when Sabine walked through. Which she noticed. "Everything okay?"

Kanan sighed. "Ezra went out an hour ago to see his parents. We heard the speeder he took return half an hour ago. He hasn't shown up."

Sabine looked thoughtful for a moment. "Let me try to find him."

Kanan narrowed his eyes. "How?"

She smirked. "You'll see."

* * *

Ezra sighed as he sat on the roof of the _Ghost_. Could he do anything right? He makes a split-second decision to see his parents and Kanan alive again, and everything turns out to be a nightmare. His parents reject him. Never in all the galaxies had he imagined that outcome.

Something _pinged_ in the Force, and he sighed again. "Sabine."

The Mandalorian frowned from a few feet behind him. "That obvious, huh?"

He gave a dry chuckle. "No. But you're trying to sneak up on a Jedi." Ezra gazed out into Lothal's plains. "What's up?"

Sabine sat down beside him. "Nothing. Just, you came back and didn't come in. We were worried." She studied his desolate face. "They rejected you, didn't they?"

Ezra sighed sadly. "That obvious, huh?"

Sabine shook her head. "No. But I have experience in the matter." She could feel his head snap towards her, all attention on her, so she faced him. "Back on Krownest, my home, I was enrolled in the Imperial Academy. I was part of a special group building unique weapons. One weapon, one that I made, one that I _thought_ was designed to protect Mandalore, was actually made to attack any Rebellion. So, I revolted. Managed to destroy the machine before it was finished. Then I returned home." She looked down. "My parents, while they hated the Empire, wanted to prevent a crackdown on my home. So, they abandoned me. Cast me out.

So, yeah, I know how you feel. I'm probably the only one that does. I know that right now, you probably feel alone. That no one even cares about you. But you're wrong. You have an entire ship full of people waiting to find you. And," she looked back into his eyes. "You have me. You aren't alone. Not anymore."

Ezra swallowed. Most of that he had already known, but some was new. But that wasn't important. What _was_ was the fact that Sabine shared it of her own volition. She didn't do that last time. Last time, it had taken an emotional duel with Kanan to coax the truth out.

Something Kanan had once said came to mind. _All paths are coming together._ Was this where they ended? With him, stuck with a new family on Lothal? If that was the will of the Force, there was little he could do but accept it. And that meant start forming the bonds with his family all over again.

He looked into Sabine's eyes. "And neither are you. I'm here. I know that what you did haunts you. You probably have nightmares over it." He sighed. "Back in my time, you and I were best friends. We had a connection, a bond. I helped you with a lot of your struggles regarding it. When I had to make my choice of whether to stay or go, you were the first person to come to mind as someone I'd miss."

Sabine frowned. Something was pushing through her memory. She held up a hand to stop Ezra's talking. "W-Wait."

 _You're making it easy on me! Ready position!_

Sabine cradled her head in her hands. "What?"

 _The blade feels lighter!_

 _You're connecting with it. It's becoming a part of you._

She could feel Ezra's worry. "Sabine?"

 _You'll have to do better._

"Sabine, what's going on! Sabine!"

 _Sabine glared at Kanan, then threw her wrist out, the vambrace grappling wire grabbing the darksaber, and throwing it back into her hand. Behind her, she could hear Ezra's 'wow', and chuckled. Amazing the Kid was rare these days, so she'd take it._

 _She launched a horizontal strike at Kanan, which he deflected, then went through a series of moves that ended up with her slashing her wrist._

 _She could hear Kanan. "You're not fighting me. You're fighting yourself. And_ losing _."_

 _That did it. She grabbed the darksaber and rushed him, screaming in frustration._

 _He just dodged, lightsaber still deactivated. "You're not committed to this." He taunted. "You should quit."_

" _I don't quit." Sabine glared at the Jedi. "I_ never _quit!"_

 _He gave a mocking chuckle as he dodged her attacks. "Really? That's not what it looks like." Kanan pushed her advance back with his hand. "You did_ run _, didn't you?"_

" _No!" Sabine thrusted at him. Which he caught._

" _But that's what your people believe, isn't it?"_

 _She gave a growl of frustration, and flipped out of his grasp. Then went back to trying to_ shut him up!

" _You ran from the Empire, you ran from your family!"_

" _Lies!"_

" _So what's the truth!" He finally ignited his lightsaber._

 _Sabine seemed to fall apart in anger. "The truth is that...I left to save everyone!"_

 _Kanan's blind eyes widened, and he started to just block her. "My mother! My father! My brother!_ Everything _I did was for family! For Mandalore! I built weapons! Terrible weapons! But the Empire used them on Mandalore! On friends, on_ family! _People that I knew, they controlled us though fear." She gave a bitter laugh. "Mandalore feared the weapons I helped create! I helped_ enslave _my people!"_

 _She finally engaged him in a saber lock. "I wanted to stop it. I_ had _to stop out. I spoke out. I spoke out to save them. To save_ everyone!" _She kicked Kanan off the rock, and he landed on the ground with a groan. Sabine jumped down and straddled him, lifted the darksaber above her head. "But when I did," She lowered the darksaber. "My family didn't stand with me. They chose the Empire. They_ left _me. Gave me no choice. The Empire wanted to destroy worlds. And they did. They destroyed_ mine _."_

* * *

"Sabine!"

Sabine groaned and lifted her head, surprised to find herself on her bed, and her family all around her. "Wh-what happened?"

Ezra was kneeling beside her. "We were talking before you suddenly passed out. I brought you back inside." He hesitated. "Sabine, what _happened_?"

Sabine cradled her head in her hand. "I had a vision." She looked up at Kanan and Hera. "Everything Ezra's been saying is true. He _is_ from another place. A place where we are his family. A close one."

Hera's eyes narrowed. "You had a vision? How?" She turned to Kanan. "Is she a Jedi too?"

Kanan was silent for a minute, then shook his head. "No. But she can feel the Force. It resides in all living things." He sighed. "I've heard stories of none Force-Sensitive people seeing visions. The Force _is_ trying to tell us something."

Zeb seemed skeptical. "How do you know? It's been one vision."

Kanan chuckled. "I had one, back when Ezra first came on board. He was there." He sighed. "All paths are coming together now."

Ezra's head shot up. "But what is it the Force is saying?"

Kanan shrugged. "I don't know. But it has to do with you, somehow. You're the key. The question is, key to what?"

"So, ah, will we be getting these _visions_ too?" Zeb seemed nervous. "I don't want to get drawn into your mystical Jedi nonsense."

Kanan looked at the Lasat. "If you _do_ start to see something, tell me. There's been two in the four days we've known Ezra. My guess is more will follow." He sighed. "I'm gonna go meditate for now."

The others drifted away, leaving Ezra and Sabine alone. "Are you _sure_ you're feeling okay?"

Sabine sat up. "I'm _fine_ , Ezra. You can stop worrying about me now."

He smiled, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Well, I _never_ stop worrying about you. That's just the way it is." He froze. _Did I really just say that?_

That was something he would have said to _his_ Sabine. But this one wasn't her. It was difficult to reconcile at times. And he had just slipped up.

"Yeah. Yeah." Sabine thought back to the vision. How _real_ it felt. How she had felt like Ezra was a very close friend to her. "Same here."

Ezra's eyes shot up to her, and she chuckled. "I'm not sure just what kind of friends we were in the past, Ezra Bridger, but I'm willing to work with you to get back to who we were."

* * *

Hera knocked on Kanan's door, which opened on her second knock. Almost as if he had been waiting for her. "Yes?"

She stepped in. "What have you found?"

Kanan scoffed. "Hera, it's been ten minutes! Do you really think I've found something this fast?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Have you?"

Kanan sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. I'm getting bombarded with things. Images from Ezra's life. All retaining to _us_. Who we were to _him_. And I've come to at least once conclusion."

Hera waited a beat. "What's that?"

"It's only a matter of time before we become the people he knew. Right now, we're different. He's slipped up numerous times, we've all seen it. I think what the Force is doing is changing our personalities to match the people we were to him."

Hera frowned. "The Force can do that?"

Kanan nodded. "The Force is in all living things. It has the final say, if it wants. The Force took Ezra's way back away. Maybe this is the opposite."

She sat on his bed. "What do you mean?"

The Jedi sighed. "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The gateway not being there means Ezra is stuck here, but that may also mean we change as part of it." He sat beside Hera. "I'll know more later. But for now, that's all I got."

* * *

 **So, this is a step in a direction. Whether it's the right one remains to be seen.**

 **I'm slowly running out of ideas to puff out the story while I work on the main plot, so I would have to ask that tif you guys have a particular story chapter or arch you'd like to see, send it to me. Please.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. All for Fruit

**Thanks to WestwardGlance, IdkWhatMyUsernameShouldBe, JaneGriffen, Guest (raven j) and MaybeImARebel for the** **feedback!**

 **West: Thanks for checking it out! I take your words from Acceptable Outcomes to heart: Mastery cares not for aptitude, but for devotion. I may in the future ask for help writing certain characters. Somewhat unsure on Zeb. But your feedback is most helpful, and I look forward to what you have to say about this chapter!**

 **Idk: Eh, it's something similar. I had to think about how do you challenge someone who is as advanced in the Force as Ezra? Guess!**

 **Jane: Unfortunately, Ashoka and Rex are dead. I wanted somewhat of a darker Rebels universe, if that's possible. Vader killed them.**

 **So, this chapter is all about Zeb's vision. Given how few Zeb and Ezra moments we had over the series, there was really only one episode to draw this from. I hope you enjoy, because it was difficult to write!  
**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I can't believe Hera paired _us_ up." Zeb shook his head and folded his arms, clearly not happy with the turn of events. "Why, out of all our crew members, was I paired with the Kid?"

Ezra sighed. It was as if they were back in the first few days on the _Ghost_. "I just hope this doesn't turn into another Meiloorun Incident."

"A what?" Zeb's scowl deepened. "The fruit? What does a fruit have to do with any of this?"

Ezra shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just find the parts and get out of here."

They were at Town Twelve. Standard Lothalian Town. Hera had sent the two of them on a scavenging mission for electrical components for Ezra. He needed them to finish his lightsaber.

"And you couldn't have done this one by yourself?"

Ezra shrugged. "Maybe Hera thinks this will become bonding time. Who knows?"

" _Bonding time?_ " Zeb scoffed. "Yeah, no. I don't think so. Let's just hurry up."

* * *

It had taken them over an hour, and a few Imperial stormtrooper incidents, to find the parts and exit the Town. And it seemed the duo was no closer together. They were in the middle of yet _another_ argument when Zeb felt a nudge in his mind.

 _"_ _Zeb?"_

Zeb frowned. "Kid? What did you just say?"

Ezra glanced at him. "I didn't say anything. Are you okay?"

 _Zeb! Zeb! Let me in!"_

Zeb groaned. "Karabast! It's one of those visions! Let's get back to the _Ghost_ before-"

 _"_ _So now I'll be saving your life, right?" Zeb couldn't help but gloat. The Kid had been rubbing it in his face about how he saved him from Kallus, and this was payback._

 _"_ _What? Yeah, sure, yes, whatever!"_

 _Still, one more time couldn't hurt. "If I let you in, we're even!"_

 _"_ _Yeah!"_

 _"_ _You have to say it!"_

 _Blaster shots rang out near the Kid, and Ezra seemed to get the picture. "Alright! We're even! Now let me in!"_

 _Zeb opened the hatch, allowing the Kid to use his fancy Jedi powers to jump inside. Of course, he landed on the Lasat, and Zeb promptly threw the Kid in the back._

Zeb groaned. "Any more fancy visions, Ezra? These things are giving me a headache."

Ezra sighed. "Sorry. They just seem to come and go at will. But, that makes three of the _Ghost_ crew. I think Kanan's idea of the Force's plan is correct."

Zeb rubbed the back of his head. "Karabast! Curse the Ashla. What happens next?"

Ezra helped him up. "I don't know. But, we really need to head back, or Hera's gonna think you killed me."

Zeb shook his head. "Right. Let's just get back."

 _"_ _Go ahead Spectre Four."_

 _Hera sounded overly calm, which was never a good thing. Especially just before she heard the news. "Ah, well, we've run into a bit of a problem."_

 _"_ _I thought you might." Karabast, now she sounded_ smug _. "Well, look, don't worry about the Meilooruns-"_

 _Ezra jumped in. "Yeah, Meilooruns. Uh, we found some, then we lost them, then we found them again, but we smashed them-"_

 _Zeb sighed. "Cut to the chase, Kid."_

 _The TIE Fighter must have sounded on the turn they made, because Kanan spoke next. "Wait, what am I hearing? It sounds like-"_

 _"_ _Yeah, about that. See, um, well, we stole a TIE Fighter."_

 _"_ _YOU_ WHAT!" _Both Kanan and Hera were yelling at this point._

 _Zeb leaned back to Ezra. "He's taking it better than I thought."_

 _"_ _Get rid of it."_

 _"_ _Do we have to?" Zeb and Ezra spoke together._

 _Kanan's sigh could be heard over the comm. "At least tell me you've dismantled the locator beacon?"_

 _Zeb chuckled. "Of course. We're not fools." He gestured to Ezra. "That one. Over there. The red one. No wait, the blue!"_

 _"_ _Well, is it the red or the blue? Which one?"_

 _"_ _It's the_ red _and the_ blue _."_

 _"_ _Right, got it! I mean, got it a long time ago back when we stole it."_

 _"_ _Stealing a TIE brings unwanted attention. Rendezvous at Shadow Sight Two. Fly straight there."_

 _"_ _On our way. Spectre Four out."_

 _Ezra leaned on the seat. "That went well."_

 _Zeb smiled. "Yeah." Maybe the Kid wasn't so bad after all._

 _"_ _Do you know which way to go?"_

 _Zeb's smile grew larger. "No idea."_

* * *

Zeb groaned. "Karabast."

He opened his eyes and saw Kanan kneeling in front of him. "I thought I told you to tell me if you had any 'mystical Jedi nonsense'?"

Zeb growled. "Now's not the time to be smug, boss."

Kanan chuckled. "It's okay, Zeb. What did you see?"

The Lasat sat up. "I saw the Kid. He was running across rooftops being chased by bucketheads. I rescued him in a TIE, then called you. You weren't so happy." He looked around. "How did I get back onto the _Ghost_?"

Kanan smirked. "Ezra used the Force to carry you back. I guess the Kid saved you now, huh?"

Zeb shook his head. "None of this makes sense, right? Why would the Ashla send a random kid our way?"

Kanan sat down beside the Lasat. "Remember when we found Sabine? You didn't question the Force's will back then."

Zeb shrugged. "Yeah, but the kit was in desperate need of our help. Ezra…doesn't. He's not some kid who we picked up off the streets of Lothal. He's-"

"Actually, you did pick me up from the streets of Lothal." They both turned to look at Ezra, who was leaning against the door. "I was a fourteen year kid when I ran into you guys. You had stolen a shipment of blasters, and I took one of the crates. In exchange for them, Vizago gave you information about the Wookie prisoners. It turned out to be an Imperial trap, and I was left behind by Zeb. But you guys came back for me, saved me. In return, I told you guys where the Wookies actually were, Kanan revealed to the Empire he was a Jedi, and you took me on as Spectre Six."

Zeb scoffed. "You really believe that we'll buy that load of Bantha-"

"Zeb." Kanan stared at Ezra. The story _did_ match with what he had found in his own meditation. "I believe him."

"Boss." Zeb looked at him. "Remember what happened with Ketsu? We can't have a repeat of that."

"Ketsu?" Ezra glanced at his Master. "What happened with Ketsu?"

Kanan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Ketsu was an former friend of Sabine's hired by the Empire to infiltrate our Cell. Under the guise that she had reformed, Ketsue gained the trust of Sabine. Months later, during a firefight with the Empire, Ketsu turned on us and nearly killed Hera and Sabine. Zeb's concern is that you're playing the long game, just like Ketsu did. He doesn't want any more of his family hurt."

Ezra sighed and sat on the ground. "I know you don't trust me, Zeb. Probably none of you fully trust me. I'm aware that I probably won't gain that trust for a long while. But, in my world, the Empire killed everything I loved and left me with nothing. They killed my parents! So, I have my reasons for hating them too. And I will work to gain your trust."

 _Guys, we have incoming!_ It was Sabine on the intercom. _Ezra, Zeb, Hera wants you guys on the turrets. Kanan, cockpit!_

Ezra jumped to his feet. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Somewhat shorter of a chapter this time, but writing Zeb is _really_ hard for me. Kinda floundering in the corner, as it were. Anyway, I'll leave it to your imagination how that space battle went out, because we're kinda sorta skipping that. Uh...if it makes you feel better, next up is Hera's vision! Try and guess what Ezra and Hera scene _that_ comes from! (It makes me chuckle) Bonus points if you're right!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	7. Vision of Danger

**Thanks to IdkWhatMyUsernameShouldBe, Wildfire's Flame, All Things Animated and Anonymous Noob the 2nd for the feedback!**

 **So, Widlfire, (who has been upgraded in status to favourite reviewer) said I write Zeb well. I think it just takes someone with a very serious mindset, as Zeb is constantly that serious bulwark in the family.**

 **Anyway, on to the next chapter! It's a tad bit longer, but the plot goes 180. Bear with me.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Well, that went well." Kanan propped his feet on the control panel. "Nice flying, Captain."

Hera smirked and swept his feet off the console. "Flattery will only get you so far in my ship, Kanan Jarrus. Why don't you go with Zeb and see what damages we acquired during the fight?"

Kanan stood. Normally, he could talk his way out of situations like this, but the look in Hera's eyes told him that was a bad idea. "Okay, Hera. Anything else?"

She nodded. "Send the Kid in. If he's going to join this crew, I should get to know him better."

Kanan exited the cockpit, and a few minutes later, Ezra Bridger walked in. "You wanted to see me?"

Hera nodded. "Sit down, Ezra."

He complied. "What's this about?"

"I just thought I should get to know you, that's all. You say you're from another world, right?"

Ezra nodded. "Something like that. I was enticed by the Emperor to come here to be with my parents. Now everything is ruined."

Hera glanced out at space for a moment. "Kanan thinks the Force led you here to help us. That you're supposed to be here."

"Yeah?" Ezra didn't seem to agree. "I sacrificed my version of you guys in order to come here. My world is destroyed now, because of my selfishness. I don't see the Force's hand in that."

"Maybe the Force led you here to help save us. Your Jedi training will be a tremendous help to the Rebellion. Who knows, maybe-"

 _Welcome aboard again._

 _Thanks._

Hera shook her head. "Maybe-"

 _Thank you. I really didn't think you guys would come back for me._

Hera cradled her head in her hands. "Ezra? Could you send for Kanan please?"

 _I'll get you home now, I'm sure your parents must be worried sick._

Ezra stood and dashed out the door, while images flashed through Hera's head. A boy with longish blue hair, clearly Ezra, sitting on the ramp to the _Ghost._ Ezra and Sabine on either side of the _Phantom_ while Hera flew to escape the TIE's. Ezra falling off the _Ghost_.

 _I don't have parents._

"Hera?" Kanan was kneeling beside her. Dimly, Hera noticed she was on the floor. "What happened?"

The Twi'lek groaned. "I saw something."

Kanan helped her into the seat and sat beside her. "What did you see?"

Hera closed her eyes. "Ezra. But, a younger version of him. He was family to us, Kanan."

Kanan chuckled. "Sounds like we got one more supporter of the Kid. I think the only one still against him is Zeb, but after Ketsu, I don't blame him."

Hera sighed and activated her com. "Sabine, Ezra, go take a supply run. Zeb, see if you can raise Vizago for a mission." She looked at Kanan. "How long is this going to happen?"

The Jedi shrugged. "No idea. Until we conform, is my guess. Sabine's changed a lot in the past few days, I'm guessing we're next."

"Sabine's changing." Hera echoed. "Great. And I sent them on a supply run together."

"Hera." Kanan put a hand on her shoulder. "Sabine is different now. After Ketsu's betrayal, she changed. This is her chance. Don't take that away from them. The way Ezra speaks about Sabine, it's clear that she was the closest one to him. And I suspect she needs him just as much as he needs her."

* * *

 _I know I can always count on you._

 _Alright, what are you up to?_

"Sabine?" Ezra's voice impeded her thoughts. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, just, I keep hearing things."

Ezra stopped and looked at her. "More visions?"

Sabine shrugged. "Maybe? I'm not seeing anything, but hearing lots of things." She shook her head. "What were we?"

Ezra frowned. "Sorry, what?"

Sabine glanced at him. "In your world. You and I were close, weren't we?"

Ezra continued walking and nodded. "Yeah. You were my best friend, the first person I could count on. There was one time, on Krownest, I threw you my lightsaber without a second thought. Because you needed it more than I did at the time."

 _Sabine aimed at Saxon, only for a Commando to shoot the pistol from her hand a second before she could press the trigger. Now defenceless, she slowly backed away. Then the Commando fell to the ground, a smoking hole in his armour._

" _Sabine!"_

 _She looked over to see Ezra lowering a smoking pistol, and throwing her his lightsaber. She didn't have time to think about what he would do without it, just ignited it and used her jetpack to jump to where Saxon was about to kill her mother with the darksaber._

Sabine frowned. "I…remember. But that wasn't me, was it?"

Ezra shrugged. "I still haven't been able to figure it out. But it happened to me." He sighed. "Hera had a vision too. Of what, I don't know. But they're happening more often now. I wonder why?"

Sabine shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anymore, does it?" She surprised herself with the answer. "Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out. Just like we always do." She thought back. "Remember when we took Rau to Concord Dawn, only for the two of us to have to fight our way out together?"

Ezra frowned. "How…do you know that?"

Sabine stopped walking. It wasn't her memory. Or, was? It happened to Sabine, but a different Sabine? Did that even make sense? But then how did she know it? Or, rather, how could she _not_ know about it?

She sighed. "This is so messed up. We should _really_ ask Hera for some down time to figure this out."

Ezra chuckled. "Well, you're the one who said you wanted to get back to what we were. Maybe this is the Force's way of doing that."

Sabine bumped her arm against Ezra's. " _Yeah_ , but I didn't the Force was going to seriously take me up on it! Believe me, I don't mind seeing my...other life...through your eyes, but a little warning would be nice!"

As she was speaking, Sabine saw Ezra close his eyes and smile, and gradually, Sabine became calm. When she was finished speaking, the young Jedi opened his eyes again. "Better?"

Sabine just stared at him. "What was that?"

Ezra grinned. "A test."

"What? Like a Jedi test?" She frowned. "I am _no_ Jedi."

Ezra shook his head. "No. Not a test for _you._ My Sabine and I had a bond. It was one-way, but I could always feel her location. I-"

"Okay." Sabine stopped walking again, stretching her arms out to stop him. "Stop talking about _your Sabine_ as if we aren't the same person. Because we are. I'm slowly getting those memories." She drilled Ezra with a hard stare. " _Continue."_

He nodded. "Do you remember that last night before we went back to see your Mother and Clan on Krownest?"

Sabine searched her memory, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. It was about a week after the...incident between Kanan and I. You and I sparred several times with out sabers, then we took the _Phantom II._ That last night..." She stopped.

Ezra continued. "That last night you were plagued with doubts and fears. You woke up several times from nightmares." He saw Sabine's look of confusion. "I know because I helped you through them. Each and every time." He sighed, looking out at the Lothal sky. "For the last two years, every time you've been hurt and afraid, and thinking you were alone, you weren't. I was there too. Helping you. Protecting you." He looked back at her. "Helping carry your burdens."

Sabine took a step back, pieces falling into place. "You mean-"

Ezra nodded. "That's what family does. We help each other. You're not alone, Sabine. Not as long as I'm around."

Sabine lowered her head. "You don't have any idea of what's in my head, Ezra. I'm not the same as the Sabine you knew. I-"

"Hey." Fingers lifted her chin, forcing the Mandalorian to look Ezra in the eye. "Do you really think that matters? No matter what, _I am here for you._ No matter what you've seen, whatever demons you deal with at night, I can help, if you would _allow_ me."

An image entered her head. Of Ezra and Sabine locking sabers, Sabine with the darksaber, and Ezra with his green one. They were in a cave.

Sabine took a step away from Ezra. "W-wait. There's an actual vision this time."

Ezra nodded. "Tell me what you see when it's over."

 _Ezra was grunting with the effort it took to keep the Mandalorian at bay. "That...doesn't belong...to you."_

 _When Sabine responded, it was with fear. "Ezra, wait!"_

 _It was with a snarl he responded. "Let. Me. Go."_

 _He parried and swung again, forcing Sabine back. Then Ezra used the Force to forcibly drag Sabine out of the cave._

"Sabine!"

Sabine looked up to see Ezra looking worriedly at her. Instantly, distrust filled her eyes. "Get away from me, Bridger."

Ezra's face fell to confusion, and he backed up and raised his hands. "Look, whatever you saw..."

"Doesn't matter." Sabine gripped her still holstered pistols. "What does is the fact that you tried to kill me?"

"What?" Ezra's eyes widened. "When?"

"In a cave. I had the darksaber, and we were fighting for some reason."

Ezra nodded in understanding, and took a step forward, only for Sabine to pull out her pistols. "Not. Another. Step."

The Jedi continued walking forward. "I know you well enough to know you'll _never_ use those things on me. I just want to show you what _really_ happened. May I?"

Sabine lowered the pistols, then nodded. "Fine. But it better make sense."

Ezra closed his eyes, opening himself to the Force. He had figured out what Sabine was talking about quickly, so hopefully she could see the truth too.

* * *

 _Ezra watched as Maul's ship flew away, then re-entered the cave. "Okay. The Alter is where their power comes from, so they can't leave the cave, which means I just have to get Kanan and Sabine outside! How hard can that be?"_

 _He continued walking until something_ pinged _on his Force-radar, and he turned around to see the Nightsister-possessed Sabine standing behind him. "You are unwise to re-enter our sanctum."_

 _Ezra swallowed, looking at the strange lightsaber that he had seen in Maul's cave in Sabine's hands. He knew what was coming. He was going to be forced to fight his best friend. He watched as the strange black blade ignited, and pulled out his own, parrying to the best of his ability._

 _Eventually, he got her in a saber lock. "That...doesn't belong...to you."_

 _Sabine snarled back. "Then take it from me,_ Jedi."

 _Ezra broke free from the lock, dodging Sabine's blade, and ran for the entrance, calling on the Force to force Sabine out of the cave and remove the spirit from the girl._

" _You cannot destroy us, you will_ never _save your friend!" The spirit cackled as it moved back into the cave, and Ezra ran to the coughing Sabine._

* * *

Sabine collapsed into the arms of Ezra. " _Now_ you need to explain what's going on. Again."

Ezra sighed and sat them both on the ground. "I'm...not sure. You've all been receiving so many visions lately, that it's hard to tell the real ones from that one. What you saw was what appeared to be a...combination of events, all tied together to make me out as the bad guy. What I showed you was the real event."

Sabine frowned. "Twisting visions? Is that even possible?"

Ezra shrugged. "Honest answer? I don't know. And I doubt Kanan would know either. The Empire has destroyed a _lot_ of knowledge about the Force. Just, if this happens again, find me. Please."

Sabine stood. "I will. She looked at the night sky. "Come on. We need to hurry back."

* * *

 **Right, so, to some of you, it'll be obvious what's going on. To others, you'll know soon enough. Basically the thought was, how do you create a challenge for someone as powerful as Ezra? He could likely take on the Grand Inquisitor in his S4 state.**

 **The answer is rather cool, but I shall leave that for you, friends, to figure out.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	8. My Enemy, My Friend

**Thanks to WestwardGlance, Seantoneill7 and andrewjameswilliams for the Feedback!**

 **West: I'm gonna assume weird in this instance is good. And, no one grows a mustache. You have nothing to fear.**

 **Right, so things go a little different in this chapter. This arc maybe covers three chapters. This is part One.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Sabine looked at Ezra. "Where did you say this transmission came from?"

He sighed. "Edge of Nowhere, Lothal. Nothing out there but grass and rock. But, apparently someone out there needs assistance."

Sabine frowned. "So, a random distress call asks for only you to go to the middle of nowhere, and you accept it and go? Do you not smell a trap?"

Ezra shrugged. "It's almost certainly a trap. That's why you're here."

Sabine smirked and punched his arm. " _Seriously._ What's your plan?"

The Padawan stood and paced to the other end of the _Phantom._ "My guess is that the trap is either the Inquisitor or Thrawn." Grand Admiral Thrawn had begun popping up on the Rebel's radar recently, giving them a healthy dose of fear. Ezra especially knew what the Chiss was capable of. "But, this is our job. Help those in need."

* * *

Ezra sighed and activated his comlink. "Sabine. You see this?"

Sabine was hovering above the area in her jetpack. _Yeah. One campfire. Doesn't look like anyone's there._

"Okay." Ezra ran a hand through his hair. "Move in. Quietly." He made his way outside the _Phantom_ , while beside him, Sabine landed.

She removed her helmet. "What's your plan now?"

"Almost certainly a trap." Ezra shook his head. "But we need to know who set it."

"You're determined, aren't you?"

Ezra grinned. "I am nothing if not determined. You of all people should know that."

As they neared the fire, Ezra's foot accidentally triggered a tripwire, and a net fired and wrapped itself around Sabine.

Ezra turned to face the other direction, and faced the Grand Inquisitor, standing behind him with his hands casually crossed behind his back. "Stand down. I don't want to fight."

Ezra activated his lightsaber. "I figured it was you."

The Inquisitor gave a slow clap. "I'm impressed. For once, you're thinking a few moves ahead. However, I can't let you take too much credit. A false distress call is not my most clever ruse. But time was of the essence."

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

The Inquisitor started walking toward Ezra. "It appears Pryce and Thrawn have decided that I am expendable. I was given false information regarding the location of your Rebel Base, and they attempted to drop a mountain on me. Luckily, I managed to escape."

Sabine scoffed. "Yeah. Luckily."

Ezra looked at her. "And you expect me to believe this."

The Inquisitor shrugged. "Believe it or not, it is the absolute truth. Can you imagine? The pain of betrayal, Ezra?"

Ezra sighed. "I can." He charged the Inquisitor, who pulled out his lightsaber and blocked it.

"I only want to talk!"

Ezra growled. "There's nothing to talk about!" He continued to swing at the Inquisitor, while Sabine struggled to get free.

The Pau'an continued to block with growing desperation. "Please!" He pushed Ezra away with the Force. "If you just-" he blocked a final blow. "Enough!"

The Inquisitor Force-Pushed Ezra against a rock. "This is pointless." He used the Force to free Sabine, then walked over to Ezra. "Please listen to me, Ezra." He sighed. "I need your help."

* * *

"Any sign of them?"

Kanan shook his head. "No. The Bond flared with anxiety a while ago, but now it's quiet. Ezra's calm." He sighed. "This was supposed to be an easy mission. Ezra and Sabine go in, find the distress signal, and get out. It no longer feels easy."

Hera slipped into the pilot seat. "Well, their comms are still active. Chopper, run a trace." She glanced at Kanan, who wore a determined look on his face. "Don't worry, Love. We'll get them."

* * *

The Inquisitor sat down beside the fire. "I won't spend the rest of my life waiting for Pryce or Thrawn to kill me. I must strike first."

Ezra smirked. "Yeah, I'll tell you what. I'll defeat Thrawn, and you can watch from your cell at the Rebel Base. That sound good?"

The Inquisitor chuckled. "You have many admirable qualities, Ezra, but ruthlessness is not one of them. You are too pure, too innocent. Which will get you or someone you love killed. Without that ruthlessness, you will fail against Pryce and Thrawn."

Ezra glanced at Sabine, then back to the Pau'an. "We've been doing pretty well without the need to be ruthless."

The Inquisitor scoffed and leaned back. "The truth is, I can't exact my revenge without you, or your partner. And once Thrawn and Pryce are defeated, I will disappear, you have my word."

Ezra stood. "And what good is your word? After all the Jedi you've killed? People you've hurt? You expect me to _believe_ you?" He shook his head. "I will _never_ help you."

"Even if it means striking a critical blow to the Empire, and assisting your Rebellion?"

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust you."

"Hmm. That's a shame." The Inquisitor leaned forward. "Ezra, do you know what Daxfor is?"

Ezra scoffed. "Of course." He glanced at Sabine, who gave a small shrug.

The Pau'an chuckled. "You don't, actually. If you did, you would know that Daxfor is a type of chemical weapon. Kills humans in less than three days. Agonising pain. Normally, it would be visible on helmet bio-sensors, but if it is disguised with another strong fume, something like, say, smoke?"

Ezra was quick to make the connection, and quickly activated his lightsaber, slamming the Inquisitor to a tree with the Force. "You give me the antidote!"

"I don't have it, only Thrawn does."

Ezra growled, and glanced at Sabine.

"Help me, and I will get you the antidote. Otherwise, in three days time, your friend will die!"

Ezra extinguished his saber and knelt by Sabine. "You okay?" He whispered.

She nodded. "Fine. You know, you're infected too."

"I know." Ezra shrugged. "I'm not worried about me." He stood and looked at the Inquisitor. "What's the plan."

"We infiltrate the Dome and launch it, making Thrawn and Pryce worthless to the Empire."

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure the Dome will be heavily guarded."

"Undoubtedly."

Sabine spoke. "So how do you plan to get in?"

The Inquisitor used the Force to toss two Stormtrooper uniforms in front of the duo. "With this."

* * *

With the uniforms on, Ezra and Sabine were able to grab a speeder bike and travel to the Dome. "Do you really think the Inquisitor is on our side?"

Ezra shrugged. "I don't think he's on anyone's side but his. I can certainly see the Empire trying to get rid of him. A Force-User, even if they work for the Empire, is a threat."

"And we're running out of time."

Ezra glanced at Sabine behind him. "You feeling okay?"

She nodded. "I don't feel any different if that's what you're getting at." She looked at the back of his head. "You?"

"Same." Ezra sighed. "I'm sorry, Sabine. I got us into this mess. If things go sideways, I don't know what we'll do."

Sabine shrugged. "But you'll come up with it."

Ezra chuckled. "Thank you. How do you know that?"

"Because Ezra Bridger is the smartest, most talented telepathic Loth-Rat on Lothal. And he always comes up with it."

Ezra chuckled. "I think that might've been a compliment."

Sabine grinned. "I give those every now and again." She grew serious. "Do we have a better plan that our _friends_?"

Ezra sighed. "The best I can see, the two of us being with the Inquisitor will grant us access to even the most secure areas. As long as we play our part, we should make it."

Sabine narrowed her eyes. "Is that what your mind is telling you, or your gut?"

Ezra swallowed. "If we're going with gut, then something doesn't feel right. This whole thing feels…off. Something going to happen. I just don't know what."

Bright lights enveloped them, and Sabine squinted through her helmet to see the _Ghost_. "It's Hera!"

Ezra sighed. "Comm her. Now. They won't have reason to know about the disguises. I'd rather they not shoot us down."

 _Ezra?_

"Hold that!" Ezra concentrated. _Kanan?_

 _What's going on?_

Ezra sighed. _We're on a mission. Undercover. If you can, go to the Imperial Dome. We may need a fast pick up._

 _Ezra? What's going on?_

Ezra turned his head to Sabine. "Let's go."

* * *

 **West: Before you say** **anything, the Inquisitor isn't good. He's simply serving his own side. The Empire betrayed him, so now he's getting revenge. And using Ezra and Sabine to assist him. So, still a villain. Just not trying to kill our heroes.**

 **Let me know what you guys think about this! I enjoy reading the variety of responses.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	9. Too Far Gone

**Thanks to Guest and V for the Feedback!**

 **Guest: I'm both impressed and saddened you caught the cameo.** **Unfortunately, you know how this arc ends, so there's no sense in fooling you with the end of this chapter then. How sad.**

 **Special Thanks to WestwardGlance for help with the Sabine and Ezra talking part of this chapter. The talk about the Dark Side mentioned below is loosely based off of a conversation Sabine and Ezra had in his story, Acceptable Outcomes. It is an amazing story, and I recommend it to all of you.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Do you ever wonder if the Empire has a motto?"

Ezra chuckled and thought for a moment. "If you're not out of control, you're not in control. That is the way of the Empire." He glanced back at Sabine. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. How long is it?"

Ezra sighed. "Just under an hour. The Inquisitor really had us meet far away from the Dome."

"I just hope this isn't another trap. We could use someone like the Inquisitor on our side."

"I don't know if he is on our side." Ezra looked at the passing scenery. "Kanan told me the Inquisitor was once a Jedi Temple Guard before the Purge, and fell to the Dark Side. That was almost two decades ago. After all that time, I don't know if there's anything left of who the Inquisitor was to save."

Sabine sighed. "Maybe. But he's not our only threat."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Thrawn is our real threat. What do we know about him?"

Sabine thought for a moment. "Chiss, Highest Ranking Navel Officer, creator of the TIE Defender project."

"Right. The TIE's with shields. That's all the same in my world. I want to know what's unique to him here."

"Rebellion Intelligence picked up chatter about a year ago. It seems Thrawn and some guy named Krennic had a discussion about what was a better incentive for fear. We've been hearing rumours about some sort of planet-killer. Well, right after that discussion, the entire project was disbanded, and Krennic now works under Thrawn."

Ezra sighed. "So, have we developed a way to combat the Defenders?"

Sabine shook her head. "No. Their shields are too strong to take out as easily as the regular TIE's. We're running out of options."

"We'll figure out a way. We always do."

Sabine was silent for a moment. "You said the Inquisitor might have become too corrupted with the Dark Side to save. How does that happen?"

Ezra sighed. "Kanan and I have talked about the Jedi before. How the Jedi back then and now are different. The major difference, we found, was where attachment and love were concerned. We've seen how Kanan and Hera act together. How devoted to one another they are. That's love, Sabine. And the idea that something that…pure, that…selfless could be of the Dark Side? That's where the Jedi of old were wrong. They would have condemned the very thing that makes Kanan strong. All Jedi love something. Master's love their Padawans, who in turn love their own Apprentices."

Sabine was intrigued. "So how does one fall?"

Ezra glanced back at Sabine. "How one falls to the Dark Side, is being unable to let go of what they love. _That's_ what the Jedi were focussing on. All the negative ramifications of love. How being too attached to a person can lead a Jedi astray. If Hera were to die, than I know for a fact that Kanan would grieve and mourn, but he would press on. He wouldn't let his loss consume him. So love isn't of the Dark Side."

He reflected. "When I used the Sith Holocron, when I almost fell, it was because of my urge to protect you guys. Which, by itself, isn't a bad thing, but that wasn't my base reason. I was doing it all so I wouldn't be alone again. At my core, that was the reason. And it almost cost us dearly."

Sabine nodded. "But that's all in the past. Now you know the dangers." She paused. She wanted to know more, but they were slowly approaching the Dome. "Can any of this be used to help the Grand Inquisitor?"

Ezra sighed. "I don't know. Maybe." He parked the speeder. "Let's go."

* * *

The Inquisitor was waiting for them. "Ezra, with me. Sabine, stay here."

Ezra looked at Sabine. "We'll be fine. _I'll_ be fine. I'll comm you the moment we run into trouble."

Sabine nodded. "You'd better." She stepped back outside the Dome.

As they started down the hallway, the Inquisitor looked at Ezra. "Relationships can be complicated. Am I right?" He chuckled. "And while I can't put myself directly in your shoes, I can most surely empathise with your, situation."

"You can, huh." Ezra wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation. He was more preoccupied with the feeling of forbearing creeping up.

"Absolutely. To be in love with a girl who is your partner in battle?" The Pau'an grinned as Ezra's head shot up. "Not sure how I would balance such a precarious situation. It can certainly cloud the mind, impair judgment. Make even the simplest decisions vexing."

Ezra stopped. They were in a deserted hallway, and he was tired of the mind games. "You know what's vexing, Inquisitor? Is why you're rambling on, trying to get inside my head. I would think, by now, you would have given up. You see, I'm focused, I'm clear, decisive. What I am _not_ is your friend, your ally, you sparring buddy. Okay? So let's leave our personal lives out of this and just get down to business."

The Inquisitor sighed. "Well, I'm only trying to help."

"Okay, well, if you want to help, why don't you tell me where we're going and what we're doing?"

The Inquisitor was silent for a while, prompting Ezra to activate his comlink. "Sabine, it's me."

 _Everything okay?_

"Yeah." Ezra sighed. "You okay?"

 _I'm fine. You just be careful._

"Yeah. You too."

The Inquisitor looked at Ezra. "The symptoms won't come on for another day or so. By the time we've concluded our business, you will have the antidote." He caught Ezra's glare. "Oh, don't be like that, Ezra! What did I tell you about ruthlessness?"

"You poisoned my friend! What'd you expect? What, you think we're going to be best friends?"

"Sabine will be fine. You have my word."

* * *

They stopped at the Dome Control Room door, and Ezra removed his helmet. "Okay, here's the plan."

The Inquisitor looked at him. "I want to thank you, Ezra, for getting me this far."

Ezra frowned. "What?"

The Pau'an slammed his fist into Ezra's middle, knocking the wind out of him, then grabbed him and hauled him into the control room, staring straight at Pryce and Thrawn.

Pryce dropped the datapad she was holding. "Inquisitor? I thought you were dead!"

Thrawn stepped forward. "I must apologise for what happened in those caves. Some of our soldiers became…overzealous."

The Inquisitor nodded. "Were our roles reversed, I would have done the same. To prove there are no hard feelings, I've brought you a gift." He pushed Ezra in front of him, dropping him on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Ezra looked around as the Stormtroopers started to drag him away. "Why?"

The Inquisitor casually folded his arms behind his back. "I told you; you're too pure, Ezra. Too innocent. That one day, it would get you killed."

* * *

 **I imagine Thrawn casually turning towards the door and his face not even changing. He probably accounted for the possibility of the Inquisitor's survival.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	10. Triple Cross

**Some of you have pointed this out, but chapter 8, 9 and 10 are all adapted from Dragons: Race to the Edge Season 6. The episode named 'Triple Cross'. Breakdown is that the main villain of previous season works with the** **protagonist to get revenge, and ends up sacrificing himself for the hero. All adapted because I loved the villain.**

 **Anyway, this is the end of that arc, with those who have seen 'Triple Cross' knowing how this chapter ends. It was fun for me to adapt the How To Train Your Dragon characters into Star Wars: Rebels. I think, and have been told in reviews, that it works surprisingly well.**

 **On to Chapter Ten: Triple Cross**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"I knew you'd betray me." Ezra glared at the Inquisitor from his cell. "You didn't change."

"Tell me, Inquisitor." Thrawn was watching this exchange with interest. "How did you manage to Ezra when so many others, myself included, have failed?"

The Inquisitor grinned. "It was my greatest gambit. Simple, but effective. I convince him that I wanted to betray you and needed his help."

"Impressive."

Pryce stepped into the holding room. "Now let's get this over with and kill the boy."

The Pau'an shook his head. "Need I remind you that the boy is Force-Sensitive? My mission from Lord Vader means I _must_ deliver Bridger to my Master personally."

"Hmm. This conversation would be better served in private." Thrawn ushered the duo out of the room, leaving Ezra alone in his cell.

* * *

"Now Bridger knows what your mission comprises of." Pryce was furious. "Your loose lips could jeopardize _everything!_ Lord Vader gave us explicit instructions regarding the secrecy surrounding Project Rebirth."

"As usual, _Governor_ , you're missing the big picture." The Inquisitor turned to Thrawn. "We won. With the Rebellion's most powerful Force-Sensitive captured, we can get anything we want now."

"Have you forgotten about our _purpose_? And our Master?" Pryce wasn't letting it go. "This will only slow us down!"

The Inquisitor bristled. "I'm sorry, who was the one actually _captured_ Ezra Bridger? Perhaps our Master would like to know about the Leader of Lothal's consistent failure."

"How _dare_ you-"

Thrawn stood. "This bickering is pointless." He glanced at Pryce. "Get rid of Bridger."

The Inquisitor stopped Pryce as she was walking out. "Wait."

"Why?" Pryce turned on the Inquisitor. "Why do you want him alive? He's bested you time and again, made a fool out of this Empire."

"And humiliated you with defeat after defeat." Thrawn grabbed the Pau'an and held him against a wall. "You'll notice, _Grand Inquisitor,_ that this chamber is modified. To nullify Force Powers." He watched as the Inquisitor's eyes widened. "The entire facility is like this. Do you really think your betrayal went unnoticed? That your efforts in bringing Bridger here wouldn't reveal you for the snake you really are?"

The Inquisitor grinned. "Maybe." He pressed a button. "But you didn't think I had no plan, right?"

Explosions rang out across the compound, and Ezra grinned and activated his comlink. "That's our cue, Sabine!" He opened the cell with the key the Inquisitor gave him, and grabbed his lightsaber. "Let's go."

 _On my way!_

Ezra quietly snuck out the room, meeting up with Sabine near the control room. "I really hope this works."

She nodded. "Me too."

They raced into the control room and activated the computer, only to find that the entire station had been shut down from the reactor room. Ezra pounded his fist into the wall. "Karabast! They knew we were coming! The Inquisitor must have tipped them off. How could I have been so stupid?"

"Apparently." Laborious breathing could be heard from the other side of the room, and the Inquisitor appeared, leaning against a wall. "Thrawn wasn't as easy to fool as I thought."

Ezra turned. "You double-crossing- the antidote! Where is the antidote?"

The Pau'an chuckled. "There isn't one!" He continued laughing. "You _really_ don't know your gasses, do you, Ezra? Daxfor is _harmless_. I knew there was no other way to get your help. I would _never_ hurt you _or_ Sabine."

Sabine and Ezra traded glances as the Inquisitor continued. "When Thrawn and Pryce left me for dead, a Jedi saved me. I've spent most of my life hunting Jedi, killing them." He chuckled. "That's the final irony, I suppose." He collapsed against the terminal, back burned with blaster bolts.

Ezra ran to him. "Inquisitor!"

"This is it for me." He chuckled softly. "The end of the game."

Ezra grabbed one of his arms and put it around his shoulders. "Come on. We need to go."

Shouting could be heard, and the Inquisitor let go of Ezra and grabbed his lightsaber. "Go. I'll hold them off until you're out."

Ezra shook his head. "No. I'm not gonna leave you."

The Inquisitor chuckled. "Ezra. You're more ruthless than you realise. I know you will defeat Thrawn and Pryce." He dropped something into Ezra's hand. "Now GO!"

Ezra and Sabine ran out of the control room, hearing the Pau'an's lightsaber ignite. Ezra activated his comm. "Inquisitor! There are explosive barrels of fuel in there."

Moments later, an explosion sounded, and Ezra glanced at Sabine. "Faster!"

After a few minutes of running, they reached the exit-only to find Pryce waiting for them. "Well played, Bridger. But you were too slow." Stormtroopers surrounded them, and Ezra let out a yell.

Pryce smiled. "Is that all? Your pathetic plan fails, and a frustrated yell shall be your final words? I expected more from Ezra Bridger."

Sabine glared at the Governor. "Actually, it was the _Inquisitor's_ pathetic plan that failed. And, by the way? He wasn't yelling in frustration."

Blaster fire could be heard from outside, and Ezra and Sabine incapacitated the troopers behind them. Pryce's eyes widened momentarily, until she was thrown to the other end of the hallway by the Force.

The door opened, to reveal Kanan standing on the other side. "Come on, Kids! We need to go!"

* * *

Back on the _Ghost_ , Ezra was talking to Kanan. "Thrawn and Pryce are involved in some secret project. Called Rebirth. I don't know what that means."

Hera shook her head. "I can't believe the _Inquisitor_ sacrificed himself to save you."

Kanan shrugged. "Could just be the Force at work. As confusing as all this is, we just have to trust that it will all make sense in the end."

Sabine stood beside Ezra. "It's weird having the Inquisitor gone. It's almost like-"

He nodded. "I get it." His mind went back to when he was in the caves at the Lothal Jedi Temple. "We've learned a lot from him." Ezra sighed. "I'll meet up with you guys in a bit. I…need to think."

* * *

Ezra sat on top of the _Ghost_. "It didn't have to end like this."

"You okay, Kid?" Kanan stood beside him. "What's going on?"

Ezra stared at the horizon. "Something doesn't feel right, Kanan. Earlier, Thrawn asked the Inquisitor how he captured me when 'so many others, myself included, failed?'" He looked at his Master. "Thrawn and I have never met in this timeline. He's never tried to capture me in this place. What if it's not just you guys gaining the memories I have of you, but our enemies?"

Kanan frowned. "It does make sense. Explains why the Inquisitor was so willing to fight against the Empire." He sighed. "We'll just have to wait and see. Trust the Force, Ezra."

Ezra closed his eyes. "Of course. But, we're fighting a losing battle, aren't we?"

Kanan shrugged. "We were losing long before you showed up. You coming gave us hope; we've used that hope. We're slowly depleting the Empire of resources they need to win. It's only a matter of time before it all comes to a head."

Ezra nodded and stood. "And we'll be ready when it does."

* * *

 **I really had a lot of fun with this arc. So, be on the lookout for more chapter like this. (It also serves as a convenient Segway into the next part of the story.)**

 **Please let me know what you thought of all this, if you thought it worked, if you thought it didn't, or if you just despise me as a person and want to tell me. (Okay, not that last one)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	11. Homeward Bound

**Thanks to WestwardGlance and Achillies453 for the feedback!**

 **So, if you've read _any_ of my stories, you know I have this...let's call it obsession...with killing off characters. Sometimes beloved, sometimes not. Anyway, we're coming up on a place where that may happen here. Watch out. No one is safe, ****unfortunately. I can't just have characters off limits.**

 **Special Thanks to WestwardGlance for help with this chapter. But more on that after...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Ezra walked into the commons room to find Sabine already there. "You ready?"

She stood and smiled. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Ezra shook his head. "Not at all. But, I have to find out what happened to them. My parents threw me out, and I don't hear a single word from them."

Sabine frowned. "Isn't that how it works? My parents haven't spoken to me in _years_."

He sighed. "Maybe, but something feels off. I don't know how to explain it."

Sabine nodded. "Okay. Then let's go."

* * *

"Do you feel anything?"

Ezra sighed as he looked around his parents home. "Maybe? I don't know." He knelt by the wall, where a saber burn was noticeable. "I feel like they were killed." He clenched his fist. "Again."

Remembering his lessons from Kanan, the young Jedi struggled to release his emotions to the Force, eventually succeeding. Standing, he looked at Sabine. "We won't find answers here. Let's return to the _Ghost_."

 _Ohhh. Look who's become a Jedi._

Ezra gasped and ignited his lightsaber, turning in circles. "Maul! Where are you!"

Chuckles reverberated through Ezra's head. _Come find me_

Ezra turned. "Show yourself!"

Nothing

"MAUL!"

Nothing

Sabine stared at Ezra. "Uh, Ez?"

Ezra clenched his teeth and disengaged his lightsaber, returning it to his belt. "Sorry. I just…heard something." He swallowed. "We need to go. Now."

* * *

"Where's the Kid?" Zeb looked around. "He's not here."

Sabine looked up. "I know where he is. But I'm giving him space." She sighed as Kanan and Hera looked at her. "We went to his parents house today. He wanted to see them. But…" she shook her head. "It looks like they were killed."

The crew was silent for a moment, before Kanan took a step forward. "I'll talk to him and-"

"No." Sabine shook her head. "It should be me. Ezra and I have the closest bond on this ship, and I know what he's going through." She sighed at the raised eyebrows of the crew. "My family cast me out. Ezra knows this. The way it works on Mandalore is that I am now dead to them, and they're dead to me. So, _yeah_ , I know a bit of what he's going through."

Before she could move, her comlink pinged. _I can hear you guys, you know._

Sabine looked at Kanan. "Sorry, Ezra. You okay?"

 _Fine_. His tone didn't _sound_ fine, but Sabine wasn't going to push the issue here. _Can you meet me outside?_

Sabine nodded. "Yeah. I'll be out there." She looked at the crew. "Take it easy around him."

"Ezra? Sabine walked out of the _Ghost_. "You here?"

"Yeah." Ezra leapt off of where he was sitting on top of the _Phantom_. "I need you to do something for me."

Sabine raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Ezra sighed. "I need you to come with me off-world for a few days."

Sabine frowned. "Ez? What's going on?"

Ezra shook his head. "It's getting to me. My parents, Maul, this Rebellion, it's just too much. I just need time away."

Sabine thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay. Where to?"

Ezra smiled thinly. "We'll figure it out." He commed Hera. "I need a favour."

 _Oh? And what's that?_

Ezra glanced up at Sabine. "I need to borrow the _Phantom_ for a few days to get away."

There was silence for a few moments. _Sure. But make sure to come back in one piece, please? I'd rather not have to patch up you or Sabine._

Ezra frowned. "Sabine? Wh-"

Hera chuckled. _Obviously she's going with you. You two are inseparable. That's why you asked her to meet you outside._

Ezra sighed. "Yeah, she's coming with me. We'll be back when we can."

* * *

"Where are we going?"

Ezra didn't answer, just jumped to hyperspace as Sabine sat in the copilot seat.

"Ezra? Where are we going?"

Ezra sighed and turned his chair to face her. "Krownest. To your family."

"What." Sabine stood in anger, and Ezra noticed her hand falling to her blaster. "Why."

Ezra looked at her. "Because my family is dead, and I don't want yours to suffer the same fate without you talking to them. Please, Sabine. I think I know how this is going to turn out."

Sabine sighed and sat back down. "Fine. I'm trusting you, Ezra." She looked at him. "Be careful? My mother isn't exactly a fan of me."

Ezra nodded. "I know." He shook his head. "I need you to tell me about Saxon."

Sabine looked at the swirls of colour outside. "He was formerly Death Watch alongside my mother. Its how they know one another. When Maul took over, my mother went with Lady Bo-Katan Kryze and her offshoot. Saxon served Maul. What matters now is that Saxon is powerful, well connected, and still a good fighter." She looked at Ezra. "How are you holding up?"

Ezra frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Sabine sighed. "You weren't lying when you said it was all getting to you and that you had to get away. It wasn't an excuse to leave, it's the truth. How are you doing?"

Ezra abruptly looked back to the window. "I'm fine, Sabine."

Sabine narrowed her eyes at his tone, but dropped the issue. It would get them nowhere. "Okay."

* * *

 _Didn't you tell them who you were?_

 _That's probably why they're shooting at us!_

 _Now remember, I could be related to these guys._

 _Don't worry, I'll play nice_

 _Ezra!_

 _What? They shot first, Sabine_

"Ezra?"

The Jedi's head shot up. "What?"

Sabine had a small smile on her face. "We've arrived. Let's go."

Ezra stood and stretched. "You ready?"

Sabine shook her head. "Nope. But, there's no going back now."

* * *

Sabine and Ezra slowly walked up to the main compound. "Welcome home."

Ezra looked at her. "You notified them that you're here, right?"

Sabine shrugged. "I tried. Comms were jammed. But they would have scanned the ship and figured out who it was."

Ezra nodded. "Okay. So, what do we do?"

"Sabine?"

Ezra and Sabine turned to see Ursa Wren, Countess of Clan Wren, staring at them in shock. Sabine took a step forward. "Mother…"

Ursa's face slowly hardened. "You shouldn't be here. The Empire is looking for any reason to invade Krownest, and if they know you're here…"

"They won't." Sabine stopped within arms reach of her mother. "I promise."

Ursa nodded and hugged her daughter. "Sabine. We've missed you."

Ezra smiled as Sabine hugged her back. It was far better than it was in his world. No blaster fights or saber duals. It was nice.

Finally, Ursa pulled away and looked at him. "And who are you?"

Ezra bowed. "Countess Wren, my name is Ezra Bridger. I am one of Sabine's friends."

Ursa took note of the lightsaber on his waist. "You're a Jedi." She looked at her daughter. "Sabine?"

Sabine sighed. This was going to be difficult. "Mother, I promise I'll explain everything later. Anything you want me to. But Ezra's my friend, and I _promise_ he won't do anything."

Ursa looked back at Ezra. "Jedi?"

Ezra nodded. "You have my word, Countess. If you want me to stand right here until Sabine and I leave, I will."

Ursa stared at him a moment longer before nodding. "You are free to move about the compound as you please, if you surrender your lightsaber to Sabine." She looked at her daughter. "Do that, and I won't have armed guards on you at all times."

Ezra gave a fake laugh and handed his saber to Sabine. "Take care of it."

Sabine nodded and looked at him. "We might be here a while. Mother?"

Ursa sighed. "We have spare bedrooms. One of the guards will show you up." She touched her daughter's elbow. "Sabine, with me, please."

Ezra sat on the bed he was given and focused on Sabine. The bond he had with her was strong enough to sense her emotions. From what she was feeling, it felt like she was recounting the last few years for Ursa. Some feelings of pain, anger, and at certain parts, hope. From what he had heard, hope was hard to come by.

* * *

Ursa sat down. "What is going on, Sabine? You disappear for seven years, and appear with a Jedi?"

Sabine sighed. "Mother, the Jedi is Ezra Bridger. My friend. He brought me here to see you. He wants me to reconnect to you guys."

Ursa frowned. "If a Jedi knows about us, then who is to say others don't as well? Saxon could find out, and we'd be back to war."

Sabine stood. "Mother, you can trust Ezra."

Ursa folded her arms. "I'm sorry, Sabine." She called Tristen. "Ezra Bridger is to be treated as a potential hostile. Do not allow him to leave alone."

Sabine shook her head. "I can't believe you're doing this! Ezra brought me home! Is that not enough?"

"I'm sorry." Ursa looked at her daughter. "But I cannot risk Gar Saxon finding out that a Jedi is here. I can't take that chance, Sabine."

Sabine stood. "Ezra is my _friend,_ Mother. I trust him with my life."

"That may be so." Ursa sighed. "But I don't trust him with my people."

* * *

Ezra sensed panic from Sabine and stood. Sending waves of calm was natural at this point, but Ezra was curious as to why Sabine was panicked.

It made sense when Tristen Wren entered, blaster drawn. "You are to remain in this room until further notice."

Ezra smiled slightly. "Okay."

That seemed to give Tristen pause. Apparently he had been expecting a struggle. "Good."

The door closed, and Ezra sat down. House arrest. It made sense. He was a Jedi, and Sabine was a Mandalorian. The two hated each other. It had taken Sabine a while to get used to Kanan after the latter divulged his Jedi status during the Kessel Mine Op. If not for Ezra and Zeb, Sabine might have walked away that day.

* * *

"Mother." Sabine attempted to get through. "Don't do this."

Ursa scowled. "What's done is done, daughter. I expect you to abide by my ruling."

Sabine's eyes narrowed. "No."

Ursa stared at her in shock. "No?"

Sabine nodded. "I won't _abide by your ruling_ until you give me a legitimate reason."

Ursa was quiet for a moment. "Sabine, you can look the other way once, and it's no big deal. Except it makes it easier to compromise the next time, and pretty soon that's all you're doing, is compromising because that's the way you think things are done. You think people like Saxon are bad? Well, they're not. They're not _bad_ guys. They compromised." She held up a single finger. "Once."

Sabine nodded. "Okay. How long are you going to keep Ezra?"

Ursa sighed. "I truly do not know. Perhaps until Saxon is dead."

Sabine was silent for a long time. "I can help you with this."

The Countess nodded. "Yes you can."

Sabine looked at her mother. "If I'm going to do this, I am going to need you to forget everything that happened in the past. The Duchess, the departure, all of it."

Ursa smiled. "Done."

"And…" Sabine looked at the door. "I want Ezra to fight alongside me." She rolled her eyes at her mothers face. "We won't run, you have my word. But you can use him in a fight. We need him."

"No." Ursa shook her head. "Absolutely not. Jedi Bridger is not of Clan Wren, and has no place here!"

* * *

Ezra could sense her coming, and stood. "Sabine?"

The door opened, and she walked in. "Yeah. Hey, Ezra."

Ezra narrowed his eyes at her tone. "I take it things didn't go well?"

Sabine sat on the bed. "Don't you know?"

Ezra sat beside her. "I can sense your feelings, not what you're saying. What happened."

Sabine looked down. "We're in a bind. I have to stay here until Gar Saxon and his Clan is dead. You can't leave without me. And Mother won't allow you to fight alongside us unless you are Clan Wren."

Ezra looked out the window. "So we're stuck."

Sabine was silent for a long time. "Maybe…Maybe not. There might be a way." She looked Ezra dead in the eyes. "I need you to trust me for the next day or two."

Ezra nodded instantly. "You know I will."

Sabine nodded once and returned to looking the floor. After five minutes, Ezra sighed. "You gonna tell me what your plan is?"

Sabine stood. "Nope. You should be free to leave this room by this evening." She started to walk away, but Ezra used the Force to hold her still.

"Sabine. What are you planning." He dropped the hold. "What's going on?"

Sabine turned and looked at him. "I can't tell you. Not until I figure out the plan." She stared into Ezra's eyes. "Trust. Me."

Then he was alone.

* * *

 **Once again, special thanks to WestwardGlance for help with this** **chapter. While typing this, I came to the relisation that the planned arc was very close to one of his stories, so I sought him out to apologise and ask permission to go ahead.**

 **I can't tell you how long we'll be on this particular arc, but it could be a while. Sabine's dynamic with her family is quite fun to write. Add Ezra Bridger, a Jedi, into the mix, and it get _really_ fun. **

**The 'people we care about start dying' part isn't yet. But, it's incoming. Mwahahaha?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. Ties

**Thanks to ShadowSpecter5, Achillies453, IdkWhatMyUsernameShouldBe and Guest for the feedback!**

 **Been awhile, hasn't it? I have several more stories I'm working on in the Rebels category, so be on the lookout for that!**

 **Shorter chapter than usual, but I wanted to at least give you guys _something_. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The door closed, and Ezra sat there, frown firmly in place. That was…odd. Sabine had gotten very used to talking her plans over with him. The fact she would hide this _pivotal_ plan from his was something new. It was something the old Sabine would do on occasion to bug him.

The ramifications of all this still bugged Ezra. Were there now two Sabine Wrens? Was there an Ezra Bridger in this world for him to find? If Sabine died in his world, would this one die? Do they merge?

There were so many questions, and no opportunities to answer. As far as he knew, that world and those people were gone. There was no way back. This place was his home now.

His comlink pinged. _Ezra._

He stood. "Sabine? What's going on?"

 _You're free to leave the room now. I'll find you later._

Ezra sighed. "You owe me an explanation, Sabine."

 _I know. You'll get one, I promise. Mother wants to speak with you._

Ezra walked out of his room, shaking his head. What was Sabine planning? And why wouldn't she tell him?

Ezra bowed. "Countess."

Ursa pursed her lips. "Sit down, Jedi. We have much to discuss." As Ezra sat, Ursa glanced at Sabine. "You may go."

As the door closed, Ezra looked at the Countess. "What's going on?"

Ursa sighed. "Jedi, I need to know what your intentions are with my daughter."

Ezra reeled back. "W-What? N-Nothing. Sabine and I are just friends."

Ursa stared at him. "From what Sabine has insinuated, you're not."

Ezra stood. "What? Countess, I assure you that whatever Sabine has told you doesn't cover the entire truth!"

To his shock, Ursa chuckled. "Sabine told me you would act like this. Jedi, the very fact you're panicking means I have not entirely missed my mark."

Ezra's mouth stopped working at some point, as he stared at the Countess. "Wha-"

Ursa gestured for him to sit down. "Sabine wants you to stay with us, no matter the cost."

Ezra sat. "But that's not possible. For me to stay, I have to be Clan Wren, right? Last time I checked, I'm not."

Ursa sat back. "There are ways for others to join Mandalorian Clans. Rare, but it happens." She leaned forward. "Jedi, if I may be direct, Sabine cannot leave this system until the Empire is off Mandalore. You cannot be allowed to leave this house for fear that you would give us up."

Ezra slumped. "So it's hopeless."

"Not necessarily." Ursa had a small smile on her face. "Not if you join Clan Wren."

Ezra chuckled mirthlessly. "Okay. I'm not. Now what?"

The door opened, and Sabine entered. "What my mother is saying, you moof-milker, is that she wants you to join us. To fight with us. And there's only one way that's gonna happen."

Ezra frowned. "How."

Sabine smirked. "Marry me."

Time stopped for Ezra. As did most of his mental functions. He just stood there staring, unable to compute what was going on. A myriad of emotions flew through him before he settled on one.

Anger.

Ezra stood, a blank expression on his face. Without saying a word, he walked away, closing the door behind him, leaving Sabine and Ursa staring at the space he had just occupied.

* * *

Ezra leaned against the railing of the ledge of the stronghold, sighing deeply. None of this made sense. Not just Sabine's query, but his response. Why had he walked away?

Wasn't this what he wanted?

Maybe, but not like this. This was purely because Sabine wanted a way to keep both herself and Ezra on Krownest, and Ezra wasn't sure how he felt about it.

 _Are you with Sabine?_

 _Yeah, I'm with her. Well, not_ with her _with her. I'm just friends with her._

Ezra almost shot up when he realised that he hadn't seen Alrich Wren since he had arrived. Which made sense, because they had never rescued him.

Ezra looked back at the stronghold for a moment, before deciding on a course of action. He leapt off the edge, landing softly in the snow, before running towards the hanger.

* * *

Sabine stared at the door. "What?" She took a step forward. "What just happened?"

Ursa started toward her. "Sabine…"

A guard burst into the room. "Countess, a speeder bike was just stolen!"

Sabine turned. "It's Ezra. But where is he going?"

* * *

 _Ezra, sometimes you just have to accept that what you desire isn't what's best for you._

 _But, Kanan, I love her._

 _And look at where that's gotten you. That's, what, twice Sabine's pointed a blaster at your head this week?_

 _But-_

 _Kid, if you_ ever _want to see anything happen with Sabine, try becoming her friend. She needs that right now._

 _…_ _Fine._

Ezra shook his head for a moment, clearing the voices of the past. He wasn't worthy of Sabine's love. If that's even what this is. He just needed time to determine what to do.

Checking the coordinates once more, Ezra smiled as the _Phantom_ came into view. His plan was risky, but child's play after everything he had been through.

* * *

"Countess, we have the shuttle registered as Sabine's departing now."

Ursa frowned. "What are you talking about?" She looked at her daughter. "Sabine?"

Sabine activated his comlink. "Ezra, what are you doing!"

….

"EZRA!"

….

Sabine shook her head and looked out the window. "Ez?"

* * *

Ezra's resolve very nearly broke when he sensed the pain and confusion surrounding Sabine. She must have learned about his leaving.

At least that answered the question of what she really felt.

Ezra ran the memory of Aldric Wren's rescue through his head. He had been captured on Mandalore and awaiting trial and execution there. So all Ezra had to do was go to Mandalore, rescue Aldric, and make his way back to Krownest without getting killed.

Seemed easy enough.

As Ezra left the system, he felt the weight of burden leave him. For the first time since this nightmare started, he was forging his own path. His own world was gone. But this way, he could recover something of that life.

Mandalore was six standard hours away, so Ezra decided to meditate. Quickly moving into the pose, Ezra began to drift, when something _pinged_ in his consciousness.

 _And the Jedi makes his next move. Where do you go from here, Apprentice?_

Ezra's eyes shot open. "Maul. What do you want?"

 _Where is Kenobi?_

Ezra frowned. "The ancient Jedi? Dead, I suppose."

Maul laughed. _I think not. You know where Kenobi is. Don't make me force it out of you._

Ezra stood on shaky legs and activated his comm. "Kanan, come in!"

 _Ezra? Kid, where are you?_

Ezra sighed. "That doesn't matter. But Maul's coming for me."

 _Why? Why does Maul want you? He knows he can't corrupt you to be his apprentice._

"I know something he doesn't."

 _What?_ Kanan's voice was soft. _What is it?_

Ezra looked out the viewport. "If I told you, you'd know too."

 _If it's that important, shouldn't I?_

Ezra was silent for a while. "Maybe. But I can't take that chance." Deactivating his comm to Kanan's cry, he pondered the meaning of Maul returning, then turned the Phantom around.

Maul knew that he couldn't break Ezra, but using someone else would.

He had to save Sabine.

* * *

"Countess, the ship has returned."

Sabine froze. "That's not usually how it goes."

Ursa stared at her daughter. "What do you mean?

Sabine huffed. "Ezra's more stubborn than an angry Gundark. If he's returning this fast, something's up."

Blaster fired was heard, and the duo turned to find a red lightsaber plunge into the middle of the locked door. "Sabine?"

Sabine pulled out her comm. "Ezra? We have a problem."

* * *

Ezra began sprinting towards the compound, leaping over Clan Wren bodies. "Just hold tight; I'm almost there!" He contacted Kanan's frequency. "Master, get to Krownest now!"

 _Ezra? What's going on?_

Ezra ignited his lightsaber. "Maul's here. He's after Sabine."

He heard what sounded like Hera cursing. _We're on our way._

Ezra ran into the room, finding a sloppy circle carved into a door. Slowly, he advanced. "Sabine!"

"Don't move, Apprentice." Maul was behind him. "Unless you want the Mandalorian to die."

The subtle hum of the Force. The sounds of Sabine gasping. Maul was choking her. Not hard enough to cause her to black out, but enough pressure to ensure retaliation wouldn't occur.

Ezra slowly turned around. "Let her go."

Maul chuckled. A horrendous sound. "I think not." He ignited his lightsaber and slowly brought it closer.

Ezra deactivated his own and dropped it onto the floor. "Let her go. Take me in her place."

Surprise flickered across Maul's face, before he used the Force to throw Ezra's lightsaber across the room. Then her threw Sabine against the wall. "Come. We have much to discuss."

Ezra glanced at the unconscious Sabine, reaching into the Force to ensure she was alright, before slowly heading out of the building with Maul.

* * *

Kanan was the first to leap out of the _Ghost_ , lightsaber already ignited. "If Maul is here, I need you all to stay back."

Hera nodded, recalling how useless they were when Maul took them prisoner. "Alright. We'll stay behind and keep the engines warm."

Kanan slowly entered the complex, lightsaber drawn. The blue glow cast a gentle light on the scene before him as he commed Hera. "Ezra's gone. Sabine's unconsious."

 _The Countess?_

Kanan averted his eyes. "Dead." He sheathed his lightsaber and gently scooped up Sabine. "I'm brining Sabine back."

* * *

Ezra glared at the Sith. "Why do you want me?"

Maul laughed. "To remove you as a threat. I will not have you impede my plans." He grabbed his comlink. "Ensure the necessary preparations are ready."

 _Yes, my Lord._

Ezra's blood froze. "What are you doing?"

Maul smiled sadistically as the ship jumped to hyperspace. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

 **As far as chapters from me go, it's a tad bit weak, but I'm working on it. No telling when the next update will come, though. Hopefully soon.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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